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Industry Rivalry Discussion Brewing at Self-Storage Talk

This past weekend, I heard a lot about rivalries. As a proud Ohio State Buckeye fan, I basked in OSU's 37-7 victory over Michigan last weekend in one of the most storied traditions in college football. But Ohio State-Michigan wasn't the only big college rivalry game last weekend. Auburn capped off an impressive comeback victory over Alabama in the Iron Bowl, keeping Auburn's national championship hopes alive. Florida State topped Florida, Texas A&M beat Texas, and Notre Dame knocked off Southern California.

Rivalries are relevant beyond the realm of sports, though. Think Coke vs. Pepsi or McDonald's vs. Wendy's. And they even spill over into the self-storage industry. Over on Self-Storage Talk, the official online forum of Inside Self-Storage, a discussion is brewing about rivalries within self-storage.

What makes a rivalry as opposed to just a regular competition? Is there "bad blood" involved? One poster describes how her rivalry with a competitor originates from Craigslist. Every time she creates a Craigslist ad, her competitor is waiting to undercut and badmouth her facility in their ad. Or is the only requirement a fiercely competitive market?

Maybe rivalries within self-storage are more one-sided, where a giant chain is the rival of a smaller facility. Several posters point to Public Storage as an industry rival, not because the "orange-door guys" have nefarious practices, but simply because of their size, brand recognition and influence.

Do you have a rivalry story to add to the discussion? What are your methods for getting more customers than your rivals? Jump in on the discussion thread and share. You must be logged in as a registered member to post, but don't worry, creating an account is free and doesn't take long.